


Orange Colored Sky

by good_mythical_miles



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Fallout AU, M/M, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-07-28 09:19:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16238687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_mythical_miles/pseuds/good_mythical_miles
Summary: Link Neal has lived a simple, quiet life for the last few years, being the only one left in his small town in the Wasteland. He doesn't see anything changing in his future, and he's perfectly okay with that. However, one day, when his radiation sickness returns with a vengeance, he realizes that his boring life is about to change dramatically.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm super happy to start to share this fic with you! As a big fan of Fallout games, and due to Rhett's love of discussing and planning for the Apocalypse, I had the idea to combine the two into an AU fic! The title is a reference to one of the songs on the Fallout 4 soundtrack, [Orange Colored Sky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad6EL-qTGl8) by Nat King Cole. I'm hoping to post a new chapter every Monday! Stay tuned! ♥ (And as always, feedback is appreciated!)

_ Darkness. Darkness and just the tiniest sliver of light. That’s what Link could see from the closet he was hiding in, trembling with terror. The sounds coming from outside were nightmarish and made the man want to throw up. The growls of the creatures that had stampeded in from God knows where nearly drowned out the screams of his friends and neighbors. His heart was racing. He knew he needed to go out there and help fight off the creatures, but he couldn’t. He just couldn't. He was too scared. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. His wife and daughter had been playing out on the community playground the last he’d heard. There was a defense post not far off. Their little town’s security was dealing with it. They had to be. Link couldn’t live with himself if— _

_ Suddenly, Link could hear footsteps approaching, and it clearly wasn’t human. It was one of  _ **_them_ ** _. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus solely on his breathing and making sure he was as quiet as he could be. “Go away, go away, go away,” he repeated in his head, his lips moving slightly with the thoughts. He could hear it sniffing. It had to be right on the other side of the door. “This is it. I’m dead,” Link thought, when suddenly, with a loud crash, the creature turned away from the closet and ran out of the house. _

_ The sounds were fading off into the distance. The creatures’ loud footsteps drew further and further away, and soon enough, all Link could hear was a soft ringing in his ears and his own anxious breathing. They were gone. But he couldn’t bring himself to exit the closet to assess the damage along with everyone else. Part of him, deep down, knew what he’d find. He wasn't ready to face that yet. _

* * *

 

Link had a basket propped against his hip as he walked up and down the rows of crops he had maintained himself, picking fruit and vegetables for  the stew that he was planning for dinner. Whenever he was doing work in the garden, he would turn on an old radio in the main building he’d moved into after the attack so that he could listen to something and get his mind away from where it would inevitably wander otherwise. The songs were the same few classical songs on repeat, as they always had been, but he didn’t mind. He was humming away, trying his best to ignore the self-deprecating thoughts calling himself a coward for not protecting his family and town. Moving to the new building was one of the first things he had done after the attack. He couldn’t bear to see that closet, let alone the empty room his daughter Olivia had once called her own. If he had stepped up instead of cowering away, maybe they’d still be there with him. 

But by now, nearly eight years since that day, Link was doing better when it came to not thinking about those things. He thought about the town and what it had once been all the time, but slowly, his thoughts were becoming more neutral and less about his own mistakes and shortcomings. He was alone now, and there was nothing he could do about it. Humming in the garden was all he had anymore. He had learned to focus more and more on the present and his current tasks instead of the past. Or the future, for that matter. 

Deciding he had enough ingredients harvested for his meal, Link turned and began to walk back towards the house when a frog hopped up to him. “Hey, little guy,” Link said with a smile, surprised by his sudden visitor. It wasn’t too often that he saw wildlife. Other than the occasional bird, that is. There were loads of bugs, of course, but for the most part, Link’s own little town was empty, and he never ventured away into the wilderness. The Wasteland, as people used to call it. Maybe they still did. Link had no way of knowing. With the hand he wasn’t using to hold onto the basket, Link scooped up the frog. The little creature might make a good pet, and there were quite a few flies that had been pestering him. “What should I name you, huh?” he asked the frog as he entered the home. He set it on the counter along with the basket. “I think Fred’s a good name, how ‘bout you? Fred the Frog. Yeah. I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

Link continued to talk to the frog, who would occasionally reply with a ribbit that Link took as a sign of acknowledgement, as he prepared his meal. The sun was setting and Link was getting hungry, so he was rushing to get his dinner finished. It didn’t take him too long, and eventually, he had a bowl full of a hearty stew. Link thanked Fred, who quickly got to work clearing the home of flies. 

Not long into his meal, the man began to feel sick to his stomach. He groaned and rested his forehead on the table, holding his abdomen. “Shit,” he sighed, worried that it was happening again. This was always his first sign of radiation poisoning. First came the nausea, then the sores on his lips, then the random bleeding. It had never progressed far enough for him to get a fever, but he’d seen it in his neighbors. Link had figured out the pattern relatively quickly, as the only food that he had in storage was contaminated, and the crops he grew were in contaminated soil. From what he had been told, however, they were relatively far from where the bombs had fallen during the war, long before he was born. So the town didn’t have it too bad, comparatively. And luckily, they had a supply of the medication he needed to fix things, so Link wasn’t too worried. Plus, he could just be nauseous for other reasons. Maybe the stew didn’t sit right. He’d know one way or another the next morning, he was sure. There was no reason to jump to conclusions and waste the pills. 

The next morning, Link awoke with a soft groan. He was achy and felt exhausted despite sleeping throughout the night, something he didn’t always do. With a loud creak, he sat up in bed, the rusty frame shifting noisily under his weight. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, suspecting he had a fever. He placed a hand on his stomach and winced as he stood slowly, a wave of nausea rising up. “ _ Bad sign _ ,” he thought as he put in his glasses, trying to convince himself that he was ready to face the day despite starting to suspect he had a minor fever. One good sign was that he didn’t have any mouth sores yet. Maybe it was just the flu or a virus of some sort. Deciding he should still wait before taking the medication, Link went about his day, and the first order of business was breakfast. 

Upon entering the kitchen, Link jumped in fright at a loud crash, certain a raider or two had made their way into the building while he was sleeping. He’d been incredibly lucky. He hadn’t seen any in a couple of years. Certain the luck had run out, he ducked and started to hide, but soon heard a ribbit. Link rolled his eyes at himself, then chuckled softly. “Fred, you scared the crap out of me,” he said, peeling himself away from the wall and walking into the room. “Try not to knock any more plates down, okay?”

Soup was always what he had for breakfast. Every. Single. Day. It was easy to make and didn’t use up too many ingredients. And today, he was glad that was his routine. With the nausea that didn’t seem like it was going anywhere any time soon, he was glad to have something easy on his stomach in supply. He’d made a batch a few nights before and stored it in the fridge. 

He took the pot out and placed it on the hot plate that was sitting on the counter and began to heat it up. The smell alone was starting to calm down his stomach, which he was incredibly thankful for. Maybe this really was nothing after all. Once the soup was steaming, he grabbed a ladle and dished some into a small bowl. Turning the hot plate off, Link sat down at the table to eat. 

It seemed as if the soup had done its job to quell the nausea, but Link continued to feel unnaturally sleepy and weak. He let out a low groan and, despite knowing he had some work to do cleaning and repairing things, he decided to go back to bed. Not long after laying down, Link began to shiver and broke into a cold sweat. There was no question now that he had a fever. It was at that moment that Link wished he’d had a sheet on his bed. He’d used the sheets from the few houses in the town to create a makeshift canopy in the garden so he could avoid the sun while working. There was one blanket left, but it was back in his old house. It was the quilt his mother had made by hand for him and his wife as a gift for their wedding day. Sure, it had been nearly a decade since the accident, but Link’s guilt still prevented him from going back to retrieve it, let alone to sleep under it. He was just going to have to suffer through the chills without it.

Link was just about to fall asleep when he heard the frog’s feet against the floor as it hopped closer, then it’s loud ribbit. “Hey, Fred,” he mumbled. It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he felt miserable.

“Hello, Link.” An unfamiliar man’s voice filled the room and Link jumped with fright. 

“F… Fred?” he whimpered, trembling. Whether it was from the fear or from the fever, he wasn’t sure.

“You are pathetic, Link. Look at you. You coward. All alone. And it’s all your fault.”

Link’s eyes widened. This wasn’t happening. It definitely wasn’t. He was hallucinating. His fever was worse than he’d thought. “Screw it,” he said aloud, pulling himself upright with somewhat of a struggle. If he was so ill that he was hallucinating, he was willing to take the risk of wasting a pill. Something was clearly very wrong. He slowly made his way into the bathroom where he’d kept the first aid and began to dig through the box to find the box of pills for radiation. The entire time, the frog’s voice filled Link’s head with heartbreaking insults.

“Shut up,” he whimpered, trying not to cry. He didn’t want to break down over a frog’s imaginary abuse.

Finally, Link managed to retrieve the medication he had been searching for. Upon opening it, however, he was met with a daunting reality. There was only one pill left. If this really was radiation poisoning like he’d suspected, he would need three or four to really do the trick. This was bad.  _ Really  _ bad. Link wasted no time in taking the last pill, swallowing it with a tiny sip of water. The mirror above the sink was covered in gunk that had been collected over the many years since the war, but that didn’t stop Link from trying to look at himself in it. Even through all the grime, he could easily see just how sickly he looked. There was no question that the outside matched the way he felt on the inside. 

Link closed his eyes and shook his head, sighing deeply. He knew it was time. He’d put it off for years, but now he couldn’t make any more excuses. He needed to pack up and leave the little town he’d called home since the day he was born. He was out of medication, and he couldn’t live much longer without it. With any luck, the singular pill would get him feeling better enough to pack up and head out the very next day. But in the meantime, he needed to go lay back down and rest. He’d need as much energy as he could muster, considering he’d be traveling with no clear destination in mind. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story continues! I know I said Monday will be the day I upload, but I'm planning on posting part 3 on Thursday to make up for the relatively slow start to the fic, then we'll be going back to the regular Monday uploads! ♥ Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

The next morning, Link was somewhat relieved to find that the pill had done its job. He felt much better than he had the day before. While this meant he’d be well enough to begin his travels, it did mean that this wasn’t just the flu like he’d still hoped. It was much more serious, and if it wasn’t dealt with, it would kill him. So, he wasted no time in getting the supplies he’d need all packed up in an old backpack that had once belonged to one of his neighbors. He packed up some food, a thermos full of his soup, and a small supply of water. He grabbed his pistol, despite knowing he’d probably never use it, whether he needed it or not. There was a small sleeping bag that he’d packed up, as well as a pillow. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was better than nothing. Finally, he included some basic first aid supplies and a lighter that he would hopefully use to start a fire once it got dark.

Feeling as if he had everything he needed, he stepped outside, not quite emotionally ready to leave, but knowing it was time. Trying to keep the feelings that threatened to rise to the surface at bay, Link marched on, but froze as soon as he reached the outskirts of his town. He had never once been past the battered white picket fence that marked the border, and had no idea what to expect beyond it. Staring at it, he felt a sudden ache in his chest. He was feeling guilty about leaving everything behind. He was the last remaining person in the town—the only one keeping it alive. Once he left, there was no guarantee that he’d be back. The moment he stepped past the border, he was effectively dooming it to be a ghost town.

Link turned around and scanned the empty homes and miscellaneous structures, the memories of their previous inhabitants filling his mind. Finally, he laid eyes in the second house to the right. His home. The one he had abandoned years prior. He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn’t leave _everything_ behind. Clenching his jaw in determination, Link doubled back and headed straight for the home that he hadn’t stepped foot in for eight long years.

When he cracked the door open with a loud creak, all he could smell was dust and decay. Everything was just as he had left it—just as his _wife and daughter_ had left it when they’d went out that day to play. Seeing everything again immediately brought a tear to Link’s eye, but he didn’t stay still for long. He still needed to begin his search for medication. So, he entered the bedroom he’d once called his own and, after hesitating a moment, picked up the quilt that he’d left behind. It was just as soft as he’d remembered. He held it up to his face and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. After a moment of allowing himself to be hit with a wave of nostalgia, he removed his pack and carefully folded the quilt so that it fit on top of the rest of the supplies. There was just enough room for it.

There was just one more thing he needed to take with him. Link opened the door to his daughter’s bedroom, tears falling steadily down his cheeks now. Olivia. His baby girl. He had been too weak to protect her. He headed straight for her bed, where she had left behind her favorite stuffed toy: a white mouse small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Holding it was heartbreaking, yet at the same time, Link felt as if she was there with him. She didn’t have many things—none of them did. But the fact that everything was covered in a thick layer of dust destroyed the man. The fact that the innocent child that had once stayed there was no longer around to use the items, and that it was all his fault (or so he told himself), was soul crushing.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” he whispered softly, his voice trembling, pocketing the mouse as he tried to choke back sobs. Even though it hurt to be in the home, and even more to be in _her_ room, Link just couldn’t leave the quilt and Mr. Mouse behind knowing he may never come back. He needed to know that what little had left of his family was with him, even though he had been effectively ignoring them for years. Or, trying to, at least.

With one last wipe of his eyes and one last sigh, Link turned around and walked right back outside, and this time, without hesitating, crossed the border of the town. He had wasted too much daylight already.

The small town had been nestled at the base of a rather steep hill, so as Link walked, his mind filled with all the possibilities of what he might see once he reached the top. What he saw did not disappoint him. The Wasteland reached out into the horizon, but way off in the distance, he could see buildings nestled in what he could only hope to be another town. There were individual buildings scattered around closer to where he stood, but he knew a town would be much more likely to have what he needed. Deciding to make that his target, Link smiled slightly to himself and continued his hike, moving much quicker now that he had a goal in mind. Or, perhaps it was just because he was heading downhill, now.

While Link’s plan was to head for the town he’d spotted on the horizon, he didn’t discount the possibility that the individual buildings—what he assumed were homes—wouldn’t have the medication he needed. He wanted desperately to search each and every one from top to bottom, however, every time he approached one, he could hear sounds of animals that had decided to move into the abandoned building, and that made him nervous. Link knew that the animals had the potential to be docile, but he marched on, not giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Link nearly jumped right out of his skin when he heard a noise behind him, and just as he moved to turn around with his hand reaching for his pistol, he saw a frog. The distinct yellow coloration around the eyes made it obvious to him that it was Fred. “Crap,” Link breathed, bending over and resting his hands on his thighs, sighing deeply. He was trying to calm himself down after being so frightened for a moment. “Fred… Did you really follow me, or am I hallucinating again?” he asked the frog. When all the amphibien responded with was a ribbit, Link took that as a good sign.

“I guess you can come with me, but you have to promise that you won’t start talking shit about me again,” he said with a slight frown. “Think you can do that?”

The frog hopped forward and stopped again just as it passed Link. He couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, buddy. Looks like you’re my travel partner, now.”

He scooped up the creature and placed it on his shoulder, not confident it would stay, but hoping that it would. Link’s journey had already lasted a few hours, as the sun was beginning to approach the horizon, so he was sure the frog was tired of hopping along. He didn’t want the little guy to tire himself out too bad.

Link continued on, having a simple one sided conversation with the frog until the sun began to set and it began to get dark, signalling that was time to settle down for the evening. It was dangerous to be out on the Wasteland after dark, as that was when the most dangerous predators came out. The simple tent that Link had wouldn’t provide much protection, but it was better than nothing. Spotting a massive boulder, Link decided that it would be best to set up camp next to it so that he’d have protection from at least one side. It was better than being completely out in the open, he figured.

It took him quite a while to figure out how to set up the makeshift tent, which didn’t even have a zipper to close, but he got everything set up before the sun had fully set. All that was left was getting a fire started, but Link didn’t see any wood nearby to use. With a sigh, he accepted the fact that he would just have to get through a night without fire. It was his own fault for not thinking about that before it was dark out. At least he’d brought the quilt along with him so he would have _some_ warmth.

After eating some of the food he’d brought along with him, Link got into his sleeping bag and curled up into the fetal position, trying his best to get comfortable. The hard ground and the thin pillow under his head made that nearly impossible. His eyes closed, he could hear the frog’s ribbits moving as it hopped around the tent. Link laughed softly and eventually managed to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks for the comments so far! I love reading your thoughts ♥ Hopefully you enjoy this next part!

More coughing. Link couldn’t stop. The amount of dust he’d inhaled over the… How long had it been? He’d lost track. More than a week at least… It was overwhelming him and he was nearly out of water, so he was trying to conserve it. As he came upon a hill, he collapsed onto his hands and knees. His legs were as heavy as lead and making it up that hill was an impossibility, even though it was rather small, all things considered. There was nothing out here, anyway. His town couldn’t have been the only one left, though... There was just no way. And yet, Link had been walking for days and days without coming across any other humans. Just a lot of empty buildings that had been taken over by creatures he’d never seen before, but knew from sheer instinct that he needed to stay far, far away from. Sure, he had a gun on him, but he’d prefer to not use it, if at all possible. 

Link coughed again, then removed his heavy pack and laid down on his back, staring up at the sparse orange clouds hovering in the sky above. He struggled to take a deep breath without triggering another coughing fit. 

“I should just give up,” he croaked  to himself , mouth dry as the dirt below him. There was no way he was going to find his medicine. No way in hell. And at this point, he only had enough water to last for a couple  more days at the most, and that was with his already meager rationing. He was definitely dehydrated, but figured he should stretch the water as  far as possible. But really, that didn’t matter anymore. It was over. He was the last one in the Wasteland. And now, he was dying ,  too. Link Neal knew that his time was coming to an end right there on the cracked earth amongst the dead weeds,  and he was  all alone. Even his frog friend had disappeared early on in the journey.

He felt like he could cry, but he was too dehydrated. No tears would escape  even if he tried . He closed his eyes, trembling slightly, resigning himself to the scorching sun above. Images of his wife and daughter laughing and playing filled his head, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly. Maybe he’d join them, wherever they were.

Prepared to lay there for as long as he needed to for it to all be over, a noise reached Link’s ears from somewhere in the distance. The start it’d caused him was nearly enough to give him a heart attack. Despite his exhaustion, he leapt up and grabbed his pack. 

“WOOOOO HOOOOO!” he heard a man cheer, the voice echoing before there was some sort of a boom.

Link’s heart was racing, and suddenly, he didn’t feel as weighed down. He forgot all about his dry mouth and heavy legs, a newfound eagerness washing over him. There was no telling who the man was, or whether he’d be kind or not. Link knew that making contact could potentially get him killed, but there was a 100% chance of dying if he didn’t. 

He took a hesitant step forward, then another. It took him an excruciating amount of time to get up the hill, much longer than it would have on a normal day. But just as he crested the hilltop, Link’s jaw dropped. What in the world…? 

A massive, looming structure greeted him in the distance. Barbed wire and sandbags surrounded the entrance, and nearly all the windows were boarded shut. Whoever he’d heard had to have gone into whatever that building was. 

Link dropped back to the ground when the door opened, worried about being seen. He was suddenly all too aware that these men did not look friendly in the slightest. They were covered head to toe in spiked armor, and their guns were the biggest the man had ever laid eyes on. He couldn’t make out too much detail, but he could hear them laughing with each other. Link began to chew on his chapped and peeling lip, trying to work up the courage to stand up and approach the strangers. 

He closed his eyes and focused, reminding himself that if he didn’t, he’d just die right there where he laid, probably sooner rather than later. He couldn’t help being so anxious. He always had been. And it got his wife and child eaten. Link felt like he could be sick at the reminder he’d given himself, then told himself that he didn’t  _ deserve _ any of the help these men could potentially give him. 

Suddenly, he heard a howl from somewhere behind him, and that was all the push he needed to get up and start walking as quickly as he could down the hill towards the building. He straightened his back as much as he could, wanting to give off the illusion of confidence. When he spoke with the intimidating men, Link didn’t want them to think he was as pathetic as he felt. Halfway down, though, he slipped in the dirt and wound up sliding on his ass the rest of the way. His lack of coordination caught the men’s attention.

“So much for that plan,” he thought to himself, trying to fight off a cringe.

The men standing at the door looked to each other before they burst into uproarious laughter. Yep, one of them was definitely the man he’d heard a moment ago.

“Who is this asshole?” the taller of the two spat as Link drew nearer.

Link came to a stop just before the gap in the sandbag barrier, just a few feet away from men and the door they were presumably guarding. 

“H- H i,” Link gulped. He tensed up when the two men reached for their guns. “I’m not… I’m not here to cause any trouble,” he stammered. 

“Then why are you here?” the second guard questioned.

“I’ve been walking for days, and I’m almost out of water,” he explained, a pleading look in his eye. “I’m from a town west of here… I was the only one left. I’m sick and I need—”

“Damn, this guy’s putting me to sleep!” the first guard chuckled, much to the amusement of the second. 

“Meatagain will get a kick out of him. What do ya say we let him in?”

The first guard thought for a moment, then shrugged. “If nothing else, we can throw him in the cellar and make him work.” 

Link’s eyes widened and he felt his heart drop to his stomach. Any hope he had left was quickly disappearing. He had so many questions  that  he wanted to ask the guards as he watched them open the doors. 

“You’re gonna love Meatagain,” the first man sneered. Something told Link that he was most definitely  _ not _ going to love this character, whoever he was. 

“Meatagain?” he asked, his voice scratchy and quiet, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Just walk through the damn doors and I’ll explain.”

Link gulped, bracing himself for whatever, or whoever, was waiting for him. The first guard made a sound of impatience, so, not wanting to put anyone into a bad mood and get himself into any more trouble than he was already in, he crossed the threshold of the dark entryway of the building.

He’d stepped into a makeshift hallway, which had been constructed with old plywood propped up against cinder blocks. He followed the two men slowly, trying to hold back more coughing as his eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight. 

“Meatagain is our leader,” the more talkative of the two guards explained. “You definitely do not want to mess with the guy.”

He pointed his finger towards a wall at the far end of a large room they’d entered. Link’s gaze followed the gesture to a large mural of a Viking-esque man sitting atop a throne, a sinister grin on his face. His messy blond hair fell down just past his shoulders, but his beard was neatly kept. He had no shirt on, his muscular form on display. As his eyes adjusted further, details of the image only served to frighten him more and more. His eyes were bright red, and his teeth were filed down into sharp points. He had a necklace made of bone around his neck. Link opened his mouth to ask a question, but before he could, the second guard answered it as if he’d read his mind.

“Yeah, the guy really looks like that. You do not want to piss him off. The necklace is made out of human baby femurs,” he explained, his sentence finishing with a laugh.

Link couldn’t understand what was funny about what he’d just said. He could feel the urge to cry returning. Cry or vomit. One or the other. Or both. This entire journey was a complete disaster,  and the decision to leave his town was a mistake. He should have just accepted that he was out of medication and died at home in his own bed. Instead, he was going to be tortured by this maniac and his followers.

“Let’s go introduce you to the King!” the two guards hollered. 

_ Shit. _


	4. Chapter 4

Link was hugging himself tightly as one of the guards opened a large door, revealing a massive room with balconies full of people. It was incredibly dark, but Link’s eyes were finally starting to adequately adjust, allowing him to make out some details. Some were dressed in similar armor to the men he’d met outside, but most were wearing simple, earth-toned garments. At the very far end, past what seemed to be large dining tables (also full of people), there sat the man from the mural, looming from his throne. There were guards surrounding him. 

“Who have you brought forth?!” Meatagain bellowed. At the sound of his voice, all of the residents of the compound went silent and bowed their heads. Link could tell, however, that they were all trying to steal glances his way. 

Link winced and kept his eyes glued to the floor, too terrified to make eye contact with anyone, let alone the leader. His footsteps echoed as he was forced to continue forward.

“We caught this guy wandering around outside,” explained the guard who had been forcefully guiding him throughout the building. They finally stopped walking when Link was at the base of the stage  that  the throne was perched upon. The guards then stepped back, leaving him all alone, and Link found himself missing their company. 

“Explain yourself, stranger!” Meatagain insisted. 

“I… I, uh…” he stammered.

“Speak so I may hear you!” 

Link winced and tried to speak louder, although his voice was trembling with his nerves. He knew the King, or whatever he was to these people, could hear him. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop on the dingy tiled flooring. That being said, of course, Link would never dream of talking back to the man. “I traveled here from a…a town west of here,” he explained. “I’ve been the only one there for nearly a decade, and… I’m sick… I’ve got radiation poisoning… I ran out of my medication, so I had to—”

Meatagain interrupted him suddenly with a question. “How long have you been traveling?” 

“I’m… I’m not sure,” he admitted. “More than a week, at least. I was starting to think I was the only one out here...” 

Meatagain didn’t respond, and Link wasn’t sure if he should keep talking. So, the room was dead silent for some time. Link kept his head down, praying that he wouldn’t just be thrown in some dungeon and enslaved, or tortured, or whatever these people most likely had planned for him.

“Thrasher, bring our visitor to one of the free rooms upstairs. And bring him some fresh clothing. He will be our guest of honor at our feast tonight! We will welcome him with open arms!” Meatagain boomed.

Link snapped his head up to look at the man, eyes wide with shock. His mouth hung open, absolutely dumbfounded. That was the last thing Link was expecting to hear. But apparently, the others in the room found it just as shocking. Gasps erupted throughout the crowded space. 

“But sir—,” the guard that Link now knew was called Thrasher began. What a name that was... Meatagain and Thrasher… But Link was too confused and shocked to dwell on names.

“How many times must I tell you never to question my orders!” Meatagain yelled.

It was enough to quiet him. Thrasher grabbed Link by the arm and dragged him away, back out of the room.

“You have no idea how lucky you are,” he grumbled. “I’ve never heard of Meatagain granting anyone asylum. I wonder what he  _ really _ has planned for you...”

Link thought it best to just walk alongside the man and not to respond. He didn’t want to get himself into any trouble. He was lead up two flights of stairs and then down another hallway to a small room. The guard fished some keys from his pocket. After trying three, he finally found the one that belonged to the door. 

“This is your room now, I guess,” he said, pushing the door open and motioning for Link to enter.

Link quietly thanked the man, who closed the door and left without another word.

Once he was alone, Link turned around to take in what he supposed was his new home. There wasn’t much to it. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years, a consistent level of grime on everything. He grimaced at the sight, but supposed it was better than being out on the Wasteland, vulnerable to any predators that might want to have him as a midnight snack. A mattress lay on the floor in one corner, and in the opposite, there was a small table a lamp on it. Next to the table, there was a door. Link walked over and pushed it open, revealing a simple bathroom. There was a tub and a toilet, but no sink. It’d have to do.

Link jumped when he heard a knock on the door. He walked back through the small room and opened it to see who was there. 

It was a woman with curly black hair pulled to the side and intricately braided. She had a kind smile on her face. The sight was a welcome one , as Link had been afraid the guard had come back to terrorize him some more. “Hello,” she spoke in a gentle tone.

“Hi…” Link replied with some hesitation, unsure of what the woman was doing there.

“You’re very lucky that Meatagain has seemingly took pity on you,” she stated, still smiling.

“So I’ve been told…” he gulped.

“I was sent here to give you these,” she explained, opening a bag that was hanging from her shoulder. From it, she retrieved a large tan shirt and olive green drawstring pants. She handed them to Link, then fished out a bar of soap. “And this is for you to wash up with. Do you need any help with that?” she cocked her head to the side and smirked.

Link’s eyes widened and he stepped back slightly. “N-No. No, I’m all set… Thank you.”

“You are very welcome, stranger,” she replied before sauntering away. 

Link watched her as she disappeared around a corner, then shook his head. “What a strange group of people,” he muttered to himself before closing the door again.

He was still extremely wary of the group he’d gotten himself mixed up with, but at least they seemed to be nice enough. And he hadn’t been able to use real soap in years. Even though the tub was covered in grime, Link was excited to take a bath and wash himself off. Plus, he had some new, clean clothes to wear, and as he held them, he could tell they’d be a loose, relaxed fit. He knew this could all be some elaborate ruse, but he knew it was still his best option.

He tossed his pack onto the mattress and undressed himself before bringing the soap and new clothes into the bathroom, where he began to draw himself a bath. He was pleasantly surprised when the water began to warm up. A warm bath with soap ?!  He would have never guessed that these luxuries existed outside of his small town. Unable to keep himself from grinning, he closed his eyes and sunk himself into the tub, beginning to massage the soap against his dirt-caked skin. Just as he let out a content sigh, a thought popped into his head.

Maybe he was being treated kindly not for his own benefit, but the benefit of the others that lived here. What if… Link sat upright in sudden terror, his heart beginning to race. Meatagain’s necklace was made of human bones. Could it be that he was going to be eaten? He’d been told he’d be the guest of honor at dinner… Maybe that’s what Meatagain had meant, and that’s why he wanted him clean?

Link stared down at the soap in his hand, trying to determine what he should do. Should he go along with what these strangers were trying to get him to do, or should he try to escape? No. There was no way he’d be able to leave without being caught. The place was extremely crowded, and even if he managed to avoid the other inhabitants, there were guards posted outside. 

Link tried his best to relax again, leaning back against the tub and continuing to clean himself off. He supposed there was nothing he could do. If he _was_ going to be served up for dinner, at least he got to enjoy his last few hours.

The tub didn’t stay warm for too long, so once Link deemed the water to be too cold for his comfort, he stepped out and let it drain. Dripping wet, he carefully walked out of the bathroom and back into what was now his bedroom. Opening his pack, he found a small dishtowel he’d brought along from home. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only thing he could use to dry himself off that wasn’t caked in dirt. 

Once he decided he was as dry as he’d be able to get, he pulled on the clothes that had been gifted to him. He didn’t bother to tie the drawstring on the pants. They fit well enough without it. The shirt, however, was a few sizes too big. It hung off his shoulder slightly, but he didn’t mind. It was soft and it was clean. In Link’s mind, that was more than enough to be satisfactory. 

He carefully sat on the mattress with his back against the wall, prepared to wait however long he needed to for dinner… Or, to be dinner, for that matter. He figured whatever was awaiting him, he would welcome. Without anything to hold his attention, however, he found himself beginning to doze off. He sat up and fished through his pack. It took him a minute to find what he was looking for, but eventually, he pulled out the quilt. He smiled a sad smile as he admired all the hard work his mother had put into it. Link took out his pillow as well and laid down, covering himself with the quilt. He pulled the blanket all the way up to his nose and closed his eyes, trying to imagine he was back home, that his wife was there with him, that little Olivia was in the other room asleep, and that everything was as it should be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story continues! Hope y'all enjoy! ♥

Link was awoken from his nap with a start. At first, he wasn’t sure what had caused him to jolt upright out of his slumber, but when there was a knock on the door, he assumed the person had been knocking for a while. He carefully folded up his quilt and put it back in his bag, not wanting to risk it being stolen. The person knocking was obviously growing impatient, so Link then scrambled quickly to the door to open it. He didn’t want to piss off any of these mysterious folks. 

Waiting for him to answer was the same woman from before. Despite the loud, impatient knocking, she still wore a sweet smile on her face and seemed to still be in a pleasant mood. “Hello, again, stranger. The time for our feast is upon us! Meatagain has selected you as the guest of honor, so you must join.”

Link was about to open his mouth to question her, but before he could, she had grabbed onto his hand, dragging him out of the room and into the hallway. His heart was racing with anxiety over what was awaiting him in the banquet hall. He was trying to take deep breaths in an attempt to remain calm, but that only did so much. Certain  that  he was heading for his own demise, Link straightened his back to improve his posture, determined to enter into the situation with what remained of his dignity. 

Once they reached the ground floor of the building, the pair went in the opposite direction of the first room Link had seen. However, once the doors to their destination opened, Link was met with a sight almost identical to what he’d seen before. The only difference was that Meatagain was sitting at a throne at the head of a massive dining table instead of on a stage. There were just as many people in this room as the first one, and just as they had been earlier, all eyes were on him. 

“Faye, leave Link and go find your seat, darling,” Meatagain said, his voice taking on a guttural tone, yet was much gentler than the one he’d spoken with earlier. Link watched as the woman hurried past a maze of her peers before taking a seat near the King… or whatever he was. Link stood awkwardly in the doorway, scared to move.

“Link! Our guest of honor! Come and sit in this empty seat next to me! I have reserved it just for you!” Meatagain bellowed. The gentle tone he’d used with Faye had disappeared. At least the man didn’t sound  _ angry _ , just intense…  _ Very _ intense.

Link gulped and with legs that felt like jello, he slowly made his way past the citizens of this strange community towards his seat. He kept his head down, extremely uncomfortable with the stares. It felt like an eternity before he’d reached Meatagain’s side, but when he did, he wasted no time in sitting down. There’d been a place set for him, completely with a silver chalice already filled with some red beverage. Looking around, Link noticed that everyone except himself and Meatagain had a modest clear glass. Meatagain also had a chalice, but his appeared gold. Link couldn’t help but frown at the sight. He wanted to be happy, but something just felt off. Somebody was keeping something from him, but he couldn’t tell who, or what.

Meatagain stood up to address his people. He raised his chalice high and yelled, “Beasts!” 

Everyone in the room raised their glasses in response, yelling out, “Aye!”

“Tonight, we celebrate the tenth year of the success of this remarkable kingdom!” he announced. The crowd erupted with cheers.

Link wasn’t sure if remarkable would be the word he’d pick to describe the place. Big, sure. But he hadn’t seen a lot of it, either.

Once Meatagain had gained control once again, he continued. “But! We must also celebrate the arrival of Link, the newcomer!”

There were more cheers, but this time, they didn’t seem too excited. One person across the table from Link even spoke up. “Why are we accepting him, exactly?”

Everyone went silent as Meatagain shot the man a horrific glare. “Because he is our guest, and we treat guests with respect!”

A second brave soul spoke up as well, this time from much farther away. “We never have in the past!” Giggles erupted in response. 

Meatagain clapped his hands and whistled so loud that Link had to cover his ears with a grimace. “SILENCE, EVERYONE. WE ARE HERE FOR A GOOD TIME. DO NOT MAKE ME PUNISH YOU!” he yelled, his booming voice echoing throughout the large hall. Everyone went silent once more. With an obviously forced smile, Meatagain flashed his pointed teeth. “Who can guess what we’re having for our feast?” 

All at once, the crowd replied, “MEAT ,  AGAIN!” Ah. There was one less question Link needed to ask.

With that, Meatagain sat back in his ornate throne. With a clap of his hands, a few people came in from a side room to place trays of food all down the table. Link watched as more and more food arrived. He hadn’t seen so much to eat in all his life. Once it was clear that all the food had been delivered, Meatagain began to serve himself. Without a word to Link, he began to pile the food onto his plate, as well. 

“Th-Thanks,” Link squeaked.

Meatagain then clapped his hands a second time, and the crowd began to get their own meals in a frenzy. 

Link picked up a fork and began to push the food around his plate. It was obviously meat, but he was scared to learn what kind of animal it was from. He figured the cooked carrots and potatoes were the safest bet. He was excited to taste the potato. He’d heard that they tasted much better than the mutated tato plants they grew back home. He hesitated a moment before placing a forkful into his mouth. Link’s eyes rolled back and he let out an involuntary sigh as he chewed. Link had thought the soup and stew he made for himself back home was good, sure. But this was on a whole new level. He wasn’t sure he’d ever tasted something so delicious. Still certain something was wrong, he struggled to keep himself from getting too comfortable with the situation. He kept one eye on the king at all times, worried the man was going to do something to him. If it weren’t for the fact that Meatagain had dished both his own food and Link’s from the same flatware, Link would’ve been suspicious that they were poisoning him. 

Link had thought he’d been eating at a reasonable pace, but it was only a short time before his fork hit the plate. The carrots and potato were gone. He looked around and frowned. From what he could see, everyone was devouring the meat and ignoring the veggies. He didn’t want to seem out of place, but for all he knew, the meat had come from the last visitor. Maybe he’d be next…

Link jumped when he heard Meatagain’s voice in his ear. The man had leaned over to speak to him. “Relax, Link. It’s just brahmin meat.” Meatagain winked before returning to his own meal.

Link gulped, his eyes wide. He was stunned into paralysis for a moment. Link had thought the man was intimidating before, but now that he was sitting beside him, he was downright terrifying. Barbequed brahmin sounded absolutely delicious— enough to make Link’s mouth water. If it was anywhere near the same caliber as the vegetables were, it was heavenly. But Link wasn’t sure he could trust the source. He got the feeling that Meatagain and his followers weren’t the most trustworthy people… 

Link stared at the meat on his plate for some time, contemplating whether or not he should give in to the temptation. With one final sigh, he resigned himself to the urge. If he was going to die soon anyway, did it really matter what the meat was, as long as it tasted good? He took a forkful and placed it in his mouth, and sure enough, he could tell that Meatagain had been telling the truth. It really was just brahmin meat. 

Link smiled a tiny smile and continued to eat. He took a sip from his chalice, and realized the beverage that he’d been given was a red wine. He took another sip before he froze. Maybe the poison was in his wine! It had been poured before he’d arrived… Either that, or maybe Meatagain was just trying to get Link blackout drunk so they could tie him up and throw him in the dungeon… or something. Link didn’t know what they were planning, but he was certain he couldn’t trust them. Suddenly no longer hungry, he sat back in his seat, trying to seem like he was in a good mood. He didn’t want anyone to think he was on to them. 

Link noticed Meatagain watching him with a raised eyebrow, and he gulped. 

“Is everything alright, Link?” Meatagain questioned, his voice low so that nobody else would hear.

Link nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah! I’m just… I’m full. That’s all,” he lied. Well, he was pretty full. He could eat more, sure. He wanted to, in fact. He was just too scared.

“We have dessert coming shortly! Are you too full for pie?”

Link forced a smile and nodded again. “Y-yeah… I think so…” He patted his stomach for emphasis.

Meatagain let out a disappointed sigh. “Well, alright then. Do you wish to return to your quarters?”

“I don’t want to make a scene, but if that’s alright with you—”

“Oh, do not let us keep you! If you wish to return to your bed and sleep, then that is what you shall do!” 

Link couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. He was expecting to have to stay at the table throughout the feast… He was the guest of honor, after all. 

“Do you know the way back to your quarters, or do you need somebody to assist you?” Meatagain questioned after a moment. 

“Oh, no… No, I think I can find my way… I can just… go?” Link asked, unsure.

Meatagain nodded and gestured towards the doorway before turning his attention back to his own food. 

Link took a deep breath, trying to work up the courage to stand up, knowing that once he did, everyone would be staring at him. He counted down from three and then stood, but as he walked, nobody spared him so much as a glance. They were all too focused on the food in front of them. Each step he took gave Link more confidence, and soon enough, he was back out in the hallway and heading back to his room. 

Link wasn’t confident that he’d be able to make his way back alone, but he didn’t want to be alone with any of the people living here. He didn’t feel like he could trust any of them, so he would just have to wander the halls until he found where he was going.

He knew which staircase to go up, and he knew his room was on the third floor, but there were a lot of rooms up there. After wandering the floor for about twenty minutes, Link turned a corner and spotted a room with its door open. That was his! He’d been lead away by that woman, Faye, so fast he hadn’t been able to shut it. He jogged the rest of the way there and shut the door behind him, sighing with relief. 

Once the door was locked behind him, Link curled up on the mattress again. He retrieved his quilt from his bag, took off his glasses, and laid down, hugging the blanket close. Link’s whole body felt tense from the built up stress, but if anything would help him decompress, it was the blanket. He started to try to regulate his breathing, something his wife had taught him to do early on in their relationship. Anxiety had always been an issue for him, but it hadn’t been this bad in a while. Link figured that this was a more appropriate time than most to be anxious, though. 

Just as he began to doze off, Link started to get nauseous. His first thought was that he’d eaten too much, but then he realized it had been over a week since he’d taken his pill. “Oh no,” he mumbled, grimacing. Were the symptoms coming back? 

He sat up and rubbed his eyes before putting his glasses back on. He dug through his bag for his water bottle and drank down what was remaining of his initial supply. It helped a bit, but not much. 

Suddenly, there was a gentle tapping sound coming from the hall. It was so soft that it took Link a moment to realize someone was knocking on his door. He frowned and furrowed his brow in confusion. Link opened the door, and the last person he’d thought would be on the other side was there to greet him. Link was frozen in place, too scared to move or say anything.

“Hello, Link,” Meatagain said with a grin that flashed his perfectly white pointed teeth. Link hadn’t realized just how massive the man was until that moment. Link was tall himself, but this man towered over even him. “May I come in?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kind words on the story so far, everyone! ♥ Enjoy!

Looking up at the giant man before him, Link could feel his legs trembling with terror. He wanted to drop to the ground and beg for his life, to scream out in terror, or to run past the man for safety, but he couldn’t budge. He just stared upwards, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. 

With a soft chuckle, Meatagain pushed his way past Link and stepped into the room. He turned around, glanced around the hall to make sure nobody was watching, then quietly shut the door.

Link backed away slowly, then tripped over the mattress on the floor and fell over. “P-Please! Don’t hurt me!” he managed to squeak out. He quickly balled himself up and covered his face, wincing. 

Meatagain ignored the man and headed into the bathroom. After a moment, Link carefully lifted his head up in confusion. Why wasn’t he being...beaten? Link wasn’t sure exactly what he’d been expecting to happen, but whatever Meatagain was doing in the bathroom wasn’t it. He carefully peered around the corner into the bathroom. Meatagain had his back to the doorway and was struggling with something on his person. Unable to look away, Link watched the man working on whatever he was doing. After a minute, the man started to turn around, so Link ducked back into the room to hide the fact that he’d been watching.

Meatagain didn’t immediately walk back into the main room from the bathroom, but when he did, Link would never have recognized him if it was under any other circumstances. His hair was much shorter now, he had a normal, green shade of eyes, and when he smiled down at Link, his teeth weren’t pointed. 

Link stared at the man in disbelief for a moment before asking, “What kind of a sick joke is this?”

Meatagain raised a finger to his lips to signal to Link to be quiet. “I’ve got to keep up that insane image to be able to maintain any sort of control around here,” he whispered, sitting down on the mattress next to Link. “You can’t tell anyone that it’s a disguise, okay?” 

Link nodded slowly, chewing on his chapped bottom lip as his mind began to race. He’d been so certain that he was about to be killed that he was having a hard time processing whatever this unexpected twist meant. “You… I… You’re not…?” He was trying to get a question out, but couldn’t.

Meatagain chuckled softly and whispered, “Link, right? My name is Rhett. It’s nice to meet you.” His voice wasn’t the deep, intense growl that it had been earlier. It was…  _ normal _ .

“Rhett,” Link repeated slowly. 

“That’s right… You said you were sick. Can I get you anything?” Rhett questioned, a look of genuine concern in his eye.

“You’re not gonna kill me?” Link asked, completely ignoring the offer. His mind still wasn’t caught up in the slightest.

Rhett felt guilty for having clearly scared the man as much as he had. “No, no. You’re safe, I promise. That whole thing is a disguise. It’s all fake. But you can’t tell _ anyone  _ else.”

Link suddenly broke out into violent sobs. The amount of stress and fatigue he’d been under since he had left his hometown suddenly came to a head. He was finally safe, and he could let his guard down. Something deep down inside of him told him that Meatagain, or Rhett,  rather,  was telling the truth. But that didn’t mean he was happy with him. He was still confused, but he was angry as well. Confused, angry, relieved, and hopeful all at once.

Rhett gasped softly and then carefully wrapped an arm around Link, rubbing his shoulder gently in an attempt to comfort the man. “I’m sorry. I would’ve told you immediately if I could. But if they all know I’m a fraud, then I’m a dead man,” he explained. 

Link nodded, still crying. “I… I was convinced you were… I thought I was gonna get eaten for dinner,” he admitted.

“I know, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to scare you as bad as I did,” Rhett said softly. 

Link inhaled a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to steady himself. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess, it’s just that—”

“No, no,” Rhett insisted. “I understand. You’ve been through a lot.”

Link was about to respond when he felt a warmth on his upper lip. Assuming it was snot from all the crying, he raised a hand and wiped it away. “Shit,” he cussed under his breath when he realized that it was, in fact, blood.  _ His nose was bleeding. _ The pill he had taken before leaving really had worn off finally. 

Rhett quickly pulled a cloth out from his pocket and held it up to Link’s face for him, one hand pressing the cloth to his nose and the other gently cradling the back of his head, his fingers trailing through his dark locks. The touch sent a shiver across Link’s body. It’d been years since he’d felt the kind touch of another person, and he didn’t realize how much he’d missed it. “You said you were sick... Radiation. What can I get for you?” he asked again. 

Now that Link’s mind was a bit clearer, he was able to actually comprehend what the man was offering. “I, um… I need medication, if you have any… That’s why I left home. I ran out and I needed to find more.”

Rhett nodded. “I actually ordered a few men to go out to find more for our supply. They’re set to leave a week from tomorrow,” he explained. “I think we have a couple more in the medic’s office, though.”

Link sighed and closed his eyes in defeat. “So, you’re basically out, too?” 

“Right. But we’ve never had a problem finding more, Link. We’ll get you fixed up. In the meantime, you can take what we have left!” Rhett said in an attempt to comfort him.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Link questioned, growing frustrated. “You scared me half to death, let me think I was gonna be  _ cannibalized _ , and now you’re trying to be all chummy with me. Why me? From what your little freaks have said, it sounds like you don’t normally treat visitors like this.”

Rhett frowned, but was unable to respond initially. He did truly feel bad for how he’d led Link on, but he didn’t have a choice. He could understand why he didn’t want his help, though. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. I… I’d rather not get into personal details, but you need—”

“Just go get me the medication and I’ll be on my way,” Link grumbled, pushing Rhett away from him. At least, he tried to. He was too weak to make him budge. “I can find more myself.” It wasn’t that Link believed himself, it was just that he wanted nothing to do with this weird bunch anymore. Maybe Rhett was nice, but the rest of the people in the building couldn’t be trusted. As long as he could get a couple pills, he’d be better off alone.

Rhett’s heart sank at the man’s words. He couldn’t let Link just leave… As he stood and headed back into the bathroom to get back into his disguise, he was already trying to come up with ideas for how to keep the other man around. He didn’t want to explain why he felt such a strong connection to him for fear of what Link’s reaction would be. He didn’t want him to think he was just trying to get pity points, or much less that he was trying to take advantage of him. But he couldn’t just allow Link to walk out without knowing whether or not he was okay. 

“I’ll be back later with however many pills we have left,” Rhett, now back in his “Meatagain” disguise, said as he headed for the door.

“Wait!” Link said quickly as Rhett reached out for the handle.

Hoping the man had had a change of heart, Rhett turned around with a smile. “Yeah?”

“You forgot your...your pointy teeth,” Link reminded.

Rhett sighed and retrieved them from the bathroom before leaving without another word.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Link sat with his back against the wall, his head resting back on it as he held Rhett’s handkerchief to his nose, trying to get the bleeding to stop. After Rhett had disappeared back out into the maze of hallways, Link had been able to regain control over his emotions, tears no longer threatening to fall. He wasn’t any less upset, but he was able to think through his options more clearly now. If he stayed in this compound for at least a few more weeks, he knew he’d have regular access to food and water, and potentially all the medicine he’d need if the men Rhett sent out came back from their search  were  successful. However, Link knew he couldn’t trust anyone but Rhett himself. And even though Rhett was the leader, it’d be a risk staying there. He wouldn’t be able to relax knowing there were dangerous people surrounding him. Sure, the Wasteland was dangerous as well, but at least out there he’d be alone most of the time… Maybe he could convince Rhett to tell him where they’d had the most luck with finding the medicine so he’d at least have a lead. 

Before he could get too wrapped up in worrying about the pros and cons of each of his options, there was a knock on Link’s door. 

“Come in,” he spoke, his voice weak. He coughed as he choked on a bit of blood. 

Rhett slid into the room, closing the door behind him. He was carrying a box and a jug. “I brought you some things,” he said, setting everything on the floor before disappearing into the bathroom to remove his disguise again. Link assumed that meant the man was staying for more than a second, and he wasn’t sure if that made him happy or not. He was certainly lonely—he had been for years—but he wasn’t sure he wanted company from Rhett. 

“What exactly did you bring?” he questioned.

From the bathroom, Rhett replied, “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is we’re out of pills, but we do have one last bag of RadAway left over from the hospital raid.”

Link lifted himself up and stood. When he caught a glimpse of all the blood on the handkerchief, he immediately began to feel faint. He caught himself on the wall and before he could sit, Rhett grabbed onto him. 

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, holding onto Link gently yet with a firm grip.

Link nodded. “Don’t like blood,” he replied curtly. 

“Sit back down. I’ll get everything out for you,” Rhett assured, helping to steady Link. 

Link wanted to fight against him— he wanted to be able to take care of himself and run away from this weird community so he could head right back to his home and forget he’d ever left. But he knew he was too weak. At least for now, he needed to comply with this Rhett guy. So, just as Rhett had told him to, he sat back down on the mattress and leaned against the wall, just as he had been when Rhett had walked in.

“What exactly is RadAway?” he asked. He’d never heard of the drug before, but it certainly sounded like what he needed. “We never had that in our town… Just pills.”

Rhett frowned and nodded as he took the lid off of the box he’d carried in. “Well, I’m no doctor, but from what I’ve heard, it’s a hell of a lot stronger than any pills. One round of RadAway is the same as about three of the pills you were taking, assuming it’s the same drug as what we’re used to here,” he explained. “But it is intravenous,” he added as a quick afterthought. 

Link cringed at the thought. The only time anyone back home had been hooked up to an IV, regardless of what it was, it seemed like they were dead shortly after. “I’m that bad off, huh?” he asked. He didn’t think his worry was obvious, but Rhett was able to read the man’s expression easily. 

“Hey, this will make you feel as good as new for a while! I don’t think it’ll be enough for a cure-all, but this will certainly buy us some time to get you some more!” he promised quickly. 

“Us?” Link asked with a glare. “I’m not sticking around here. I’m leaving as soon as I’m up to it.”

Rhett decided to ignore what the man was saying for the time being and instead focus on getting the IV set up. “You really should be in the hospital wing for this, but I think you’ll be much more comfortable up here in your own room. We can make do with what we’ve got…” Rhett dragged the table and lamp from the corner over closer to the mattress. He placed the IV bag on the edge of the table so it was hanging off and set the lamp on the edge of it to hold it in place. 

“Have you done this before?” Link asked, growing increasingly nervous as Rhett continued to prepare everything. 

Rhett froze for a moment, remaining silent until Link impatiently asked a second time. “Um, yeah. I have a few times, actually,” he replied finally, not so much as giving Link a glance. He was quiet for another moment before he cleared his throat and straightened up. “This won’t be pleasant, but you’ll get through it.”

Link’s eyes widened with worry. He looked up at the tall man and with a slightly shaky voice, questioned, “What’s gonna happen to me when it starts?”

“You’re gonna have to pee a lot because this stuff is gonna purge the radiation particles from your system. And you might have some stomach and head pains. And some of your hair might fall out, but probably not after only one round,” he said, frowning.

Link closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall as he sighed. “Well, I guess that’s what’ll happen if I don’t take anything, anyway.” 

“I brought you some water we’ve purified, too. We don’t want you getting dehydrated,” he said, grabbing the jug and placing it beside the lamp on the table. 

“Why do you keep saying ‘we?’ Why do you keep including yourself?” Link questioned, irritation plain as day from the tone of his voice alone, nevermind the slight roll of his eyes. 

Rhett opened his mouth to answer, but he wasn’t sure what to say. He considered telling Link the truth, telling him all about Clara, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t want to bother the guy any more than he needed to. “Listen, Link. You came here to the community I built for help, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to get you what you need.”

Rhett’s words were spoken with such finality that Link knew not to try to argue it further. Instead, he lowered his head, looking away from the bag of RadAway. He mumbled, “I guess just stick me, then…”

With that, Rhett got to work. He had brought a bottle of Vodka up to try to disinfect things with. He poured it onto a rag, which he then rubbed against Link’s arm. He prepared the needle, and on the count of three, inserted it into Link’s vein. Link let out a hiss as the pinch from the stick startled him, then exhaled deeply. Rhett made sure the fluid was travelling through the tubes, then nodded, satisfied with the situation.

“You’re gonna be okay, man,” he said quietly, plopping down next to Link on the mattress.

Link ignored him, staring up towards the ceiling, directing all of his focus on a peculiar splotch on the ceiling in an attempt to distract himself from the stinging in his arm and how frightened he was about whatever side effects were heading his way. He was incredibly embarrassed about his previous show of emotions, and didn’t want any more sympathy from Rhett. He was scared, sure. Terrified, even. But he figured showing any weakness would only hinder his ability to escape quickly. For whatever reason, Rhett clearly wanted to help him, and as long as Link was able to act fine, he’d be able to get out. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story continues! Hopefully y'all like this, it's a bit of a longer update! ♥

Only five minutes into Rhett administering the RadAway, Link could recognize himself starting to feel off. First came a strange pressure to one side of his head. His scalp began to tingle, and his eyes grew heavy. Then, the pressure turned to pain. With the arm not attached to the makeshift IV, Link reached up and massaged the spot just above his right brow that was beginning to feel like somebody was drilling an icepick into his skull. He tried and failed to hold back a whimper when this palm didn’t do anything to relieve the pain.

Next came the stomach pain that Rhett had warned him of. Unlike the headache, this came without warning from his body itself; there was no buildup to it. Link reflexively wrapped his arms around his torso and doubled over, bearing down as a reaction to the excruciating in now two spots. He barely noticed Rhett’s hand when it fell gently onto his shoulder, thumb rubbing soft against him.

“This is the worst part. It won’t last too long,” Rhett breathed in an effort to reassure the struggling man.

Link heard Rhett’s words, sure, but he wasn’t able to process what he’d said. He was trembling from head to toe now, a layer of sweat forming on his skin, and it was taking every bit of his concentration to keep himself from screaming.

Rhett wished he could leave Link’s side—wished he didn’t feel the need to stay and guide him through this when it was obvious he didn’t want his company. But Rhett had seen plenty of people go through this experience before, and he knew that Link needed somebody— _anybody_ —to help him. Rhett watched with concern as Link writhed in pain, wishing he could do something to ease the side effects.

Through the pain and with a wince, Link reached an arm up to hold onto the table. He needed to use the restroom. Rhett hadn’t been kidding when he said that’d be a side effect. It came out of nowhere, but he suddenly felt like he’d been holding it in for days. He wasn’t sure how he’d get himself into the bathroom when he was in so much pain, but he wasn’t about to ask Rhett for help. In fact, he was silently cursing the fact that he was still there with him. Still trembling, Link managed to lift himself up to a crouched position, but even that simple motion had taken up the full amount of energy his body could allow for in that moment. He rested his forehead on the edge of the table and he clung to it, trying not to fall over.

Rhett got up and placed one hand on the small of Link’s back and used the other to hold onto his arm, holding him in place. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

Link, feeling unable to reliably use his words, simply winced and nodded.

“Okay, c’mon. I’ll help you,” Rhett said, pulling gently on Link’s arm to help him stand.

Link, however, tried to shake out of his grasp. “N-No,” he stammered in weak protest. When he faltered slightly, it immediately became clear to him that Rhett’s instinct was right, he’d never be able to carry himself far enough to make it a few steps, let alone into the bathroom. He was just in too much pain. Sweat beginning to drip from his forehead, he looked up at the taller man, a pleading look in his eye.

Rhett didn’t question him, but simply wrapped an arm around Link’s waist before he used his free hand to carefully carry the IV bag and guide him slowly into the restroom. When the pair eventually made it to the toilet, Link was eager to sit so he no longer had to be carrying his own weight. Rhett averted his gaze, wanting to give the poor man privacy, but knowing he needed to be there to hold the medication. He stared at the ceiling as he waited for Link to finish. It was only a moment later that Rhett felt Link’s shoulder and head against his thigh.

“Link?” he asked, not wanting to look down at him. When he didn’t get a response, he glanced down, and saw that the man had slumped against him, unconscious. Rhett sighed deeply in pity. He’d seen this happen a few times before, in the people who were most sensitive to the pain. His wife had been like that. The pain was too much to handle, so their body just shut down.

Rhett struggled, but managed to reclothe Link and carry him back into the main room before laying him gently on the mattress. He covered him in a quilt he found hanging out of the man’s bag and sat beside him, monitoring things closely. The medication bag was already half empty, so it wouldn’t be too much longer that Link had to put up with the ordeal.

* * *

 

Link gradually regained consciousness. When he realized he was awake, he didn’t open his eyes right away. Still intoxicated with drowsiness, he let out a soft noise of content, thinking he was still at home in his own bed.

“Hey, you’re awake… How are you feeling?” Rhett asked in the gentlest tone he could muster, not wanting to startle the man.

The effort was in vain. The sound of Rhett’s voice caused reality to come crashing down around Link, who shot upright in bed with a start. He looked down at his arm, which was now free from the IV drip. In its place was a clean bandage. Link opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any words. He wasn’t sure what he should say. Part of him wanted to thank Rhett, but he was still upset at the situation.

“You fainted,” Rhett explained, assuming Link’s silence was due to confusion. “I think the pain was too much. I’ve seen that happen before.”

Link nodded slowly. “I don’t have a very high pain tolerance,” he admitted, eyes glued to his quilt and his voice a quiet rasp.

“How are you feeling now?” Rhett questioned, hesitating a moment before working up the courage to place a hand on Link’s shoulder. He wanted to reassure the man that he was there to help—that he wasn’t going to do anything to hurt him—but he was careful not to go too far.

A shiver radiated through Link’s body from the point of contact with Rhett’s hand. Link hated that he enjoyed the feeling of him so much, but he couldn’t help it. It’d been so long since he’d had any sort of physical connection that everything felt electric. Not wanting Rhett to see the goosebumps that had sprung up all down his arms, he folded in on himself, laying back down on his side and facing away from him.

“Just really tired,” he mumbled. “And kinda sore…” His abdomen was achy from bearing down while in pain.

Rhett nodded despite Link not being able to see him. “Yeah, you’ll feel that way for a while. I’ll leave you alone so you can rest.” He knew how draining the experience could be, and didn’t want to bother the man too much.

Before Link knew what was happening, he found himself replying, “No, that’s okay.”

Both men were surprised by the words, but Rhett more so than Link. The man had made it very clear that all he wanted to do was leave as soon as he could, but suddenly he didn’t seem like he was in too much of a rush… Maybe he was just too exhausted to care. “Are you sure?” Rhett asked.

Link hesitated, but decided to stick with the truth. So, he simply nodded in response. He pulled his quilt up to his chin and sighed deeply, trying to get comfortable. He didn’t think he’d be able to sleep yet, considering he’d just woken up, but he was too exhausted to feel like doing anything but lay there.

Rhett watched as the man tried to get himself situated and fought the urge to lay down next to him. He knew he was projecting his emotions onto the near stranger. Memories of trying to comfort Sarah while she was going through the same thing were dominating the man’s head for the first time in a very long time. He was sure Link didn’t want to talk, but Rhett needed some sort of a distraction, so he spoke up anyway. “That’s… That’s a really nice quilt. I haven’t seen something like that in… a long time. Where’d you get it?”

Link squeezed his eyes closed as he grimaced. Of all the things Rhett could have asked, why’d it have to be that? He took a deep breath in and held it for a count of five before exhaling. He repeated the action a couple of times in an attempt to calm himself down. It’s what _she_ would have told him to do. “I’d rather not get into it,” he finally muttered, praying that his voice didn’t betray the fact that it pained him to think about the blanket’s history.

Rhett could tell he’d struck a nerve somehow, so he didn’t say anything more. Everyone in the Wasteland had some sort of a painful backstory. It was just the way the world worked now. Maybe it always had. But regardless, he didn’t try to press any farther. He wouldn’t want Link trying to pry information out of him either, even though he had plenty to give. So, his only response was a soft, “Okay.”

Rhett leaned against the wall next to Link, who kept his eyes shut tight. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable, and Rhett tried his best to think of something— _anything_ —he could do to help, but he came up short. Thinking back, he remembered that Link seemed to relax a bit when he’d placed a hand on his shoulder, so after a moment’s deliberation, he decided to do it once more. He lazily placed his hand on Link’s left arm and gently ran his thumb against his skin in an attempt to be at least somewhat soothing. He hoped it didn’t come across as creepy or invasive, but when Link’s expression seemed to relax a bit, he felt some form of reassurance.

Rhett continued the motion, but let his own eyes flutter shut. The two men stayed like that, silent but enjoying each other’s company, for nearly an hour before Rhett started to doze off himself. He didn’t realize he’d stopped moving his thumb and was fading off.

Link, however, startled him back to consciousness when he spoke up, breaking the silence. “I’m still leaving first thing in the morning,” he muttered.

Despite the quiet tone, his voice rang through Rhett’s head like he’d yelled it. “Are you sure?” he asked, cringing at how desperate he so obviously sounded.

“Yeah. You don’t have the medication I need, and I don’t have time to wait around hoping whoever you send out to find it happens to come across some,” he explained, rolling over onto his back so he could look Rhett in the eye.

All Rhett could do for a moment was frown. Even though he wasn’t happy about it, he couldn’t blame the guy. He was right. There was no guaranteeing that his men would be able to find any medication, and it would take them quite some time to make the journey regardless. It was then that Rhett had an idea. “I’ll come with you,” he said.

Link was taken aback by the offer. Or, was it even an offer? “What? Why?” he questioned. Why would Rhett give up everything he had going for _him_? They barely knew each other… There had to be something else going on.

Rhett chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, trying to think about how much he wanted to tell the man. “I’m… I’m sick of living a lie. The disguise is exhausting to deal with day in and day out. It hurts. And I’d like to get out and see the world again. I think it’s time. I’ve got enough supplies to last us quite a while, and better weapons than the pistol you brought with you,” Rhett explained. It certainly wasn’t anywhere near the _whole_ truth, but it was the truth nonetheless.

That made sense to Link. He was foolish to think it had anything to do with himself, even for a moment. Of course it didn’t; the pair barely knew each other. He began to respond, but Rhett spoke again before he could get a word out.

“I wouldn’t feel right not knowing whether or not you got what you needed, either.” Rhett felt awkward adding this, but he also wanted Link to know at least that much.

Link’s gaze met Rhett’s gaze for a just a brief moment before they both looked away.

Link mulled over everything Rhett had said. With the two of them out there together, Link knew he’d have more resources and better protection. It also couldn’t hurt to have somebody to talk to. He hadn’t realized how much he’d really missed conversation. He’d gotten so used to talking to himself, but now that he really thought about the possibility of losing any company, it scared him. So, after heaving a deep sigh, he agreed. “Okay.”

“ _Okay?_ ” Rhett asked, eyebrows raised. He was expecting to have to plead his case at least a little bit.

Link nodded, rolling over onto his side once again. “Yeah. Okay.”

Rhett couldn’t help but smile a tiny smile. “Okay. I’ll go let everyone know the plan and start getting our supplies together. You get some rest,” he said softly, picking himself up off the floor. He found his smile widening with each passing second, his excitement growing at the thought of adventure. Once standing, he eagerly re-applied his disguise and headed out the door into the hallway without another word.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Just a quick update... I'm going to put this story on a brief hiatus after part 10 is posted, as finals week is quickly approaching and I want to put my full attention into that! But as soon as I'm done, this story will be back! Hope you like this week's chapter! Thanks for the awesome feedback so far :)

Link was lying on the mattress and staring at the ceiling. He’d dozed off at some point after Rhett had left, but now he was finished with sleep. Due to the fact that his room had no windows and no clock, there was no way for him to tell the time. All he knew was that his stomach was rumbling. He hoped it was morning and that it was time for breakfast, but he didn’t want to simply start wandering the hallways looking for somebody who could get him some food. He was trying to hold out hope that somebody would fetch him for mealtime like they had for dinner the night before, but he was beginning to give up on that thought. There was silence out in the hallway, so Link assumed everyone was either sleeping or already in the dining hall. Almost as soon as he had that thought, however, a chaos erupted. He heard shouting and people running. Anxiety crept up in Link and began to approach panic. Had raiders broken in? Or perhaps they were under attack by those same creatures that had overrun his hometown… 

The urge to curl up in a ball and hide was there as it always had been, but Link fought it this time. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood and walked to the door, which he cracked open slightly. 

“Meatagain is doing  **what?!** ” one of the people asked another. 

Link quickly shut the door before anyone noticed him watching and took a deep, nervous breath. The energy in the building was that of mass panic. It felt as if the community was cracking apart around him. All hell had broken loose. This was all because of him. Link couldn’t blame them. Their almighty leader had apparently just let them know that he was leaving with a glorified stranger, and the news was spreading quickly. Link was quickly beginning to doubt that the decision he’d made to allow Rhett to accompany him was the correct one, but it was too late to back out now.

Only a moment after he’d closed the door, there was a knock that nearly caused the man to jump out of his skin. He clutched his chest and took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he moved to open it. The only thing that kept him from panicking about who might be visiting him was the fact that he was sure if somebody were planning on attacking him, they wouldn’t worry about knocking first. He was greeted by the woman he now knew was named Faye, although the feelings she had harbored for him were clearly much less warm than when she’d collected him for the feast the night before. She had no smile on her face, and a darkness in her eyes. 

“H-Hi,” Link tried, waving awkwardly. 

“Meatagain requested that you join us for breakfast,” she said, voice practically a hiss.

Link’s heart sank when he remembered that Rhett had called the woman “darling” when they’d entered the dining hall the night before. Was Rhett really going to leave her without any warning? Or was his whole relationship with the woman just as fake as his character? The thought left a bad taste in his mouth. 

“R-Uh… Meatagain leaving wasn’t my idea,” Link said, wanting to make sure she knew it wasn’t his fault. Faye didn’t have any reaction to his words. She simply turned away and started down the hallway. 

Link let out a sigh before he worked up the courage to follow her. Just as he expected, all eyes were on him. He’d never seen the hallways so crowded, but to be fair, he’d only been there for one day. People were crowded around doorways frantically discussing what Link could only assume was himself, due to the fact that they all went silent when he passed. Link did his best to keep his head down, gaze focused on his feet as he walked. He didn’t want to make eye contact with the wrong person and get himself into any trouble. All he could do at that point was keep himself safe until it was time to leave. And hopefully, that was as soon as breakfast was over.

As Link entered the dining hall, he was met with the sight of Meatagain standing at the head of the incredibly long table, addressing the few members of the community brave enough to attempt to talk some sense into their leader. 

“You don’t know the newcomer! He could be planning to hurt you!” one of the men insisted. Based on his exasperated tone, it sounded like he’d been trying to get his point across for some time.

“I WILL REPEAT MYSELF ONE FINAL TIME!” Meatagain bellowed, waving his arms for dramatic effect. “THE NEWCOMER  _ CAN _ BE TRUSTED AND  _ WILL _ BE TRUSTED. AS A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH, I WILL SEE THAT HE GETS THE MEDICATION THAT HE NEEDS MYSELF. I WILL QUOTE THE ANCIENT TEXTS IN OUR LIBRARY. ‘IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF.’ THAT IS  _ FINAL _ . NOW, AWAY WITH YOU ALL!”

Link had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. The night before, the scene would have frightened him to no end. But now that he’d seen the real Rhett, this Meatagain character was almost comical. Rhett was a quiet, gentle figure despite his intimidating stature. Meatagain was a fraud, and now that Link knew that, it was sort of obvious. He wondered how nobody managed to figure it out. 

As the stragglers filed out of the dining hall, Link walked in the opposite direction, towards Meatagain. He dramatically bowed to the leader, who chuckled softly. 

“Cut it out,” Rhett whispered. 

Link straightened his posture and smiled up at the man. “You’re a lot less scary now that I know the baby bones and the fangs are fake,” he admitted with a smirk.

Rhett nodded. “I’m sure. Why do you think I’ve been so careful to keep up the appearance?” He pulled a chair out and motioned for Link to sit in it before asking, “How are you feeling this morning?”

Link meditated on his physical state for a moment, analyzing every slight ache and pain that he could. “I’m… I’m a lot better than I have been in weeks,” he decided finally. “Not perfect by any means, but...better.”

Rhett visibly relaxed with Link’s words. “That’s amazing. We’ll find more medication soon enough and get you totally fixed up,” he assured.

Link nodded, although he didn’t completely believe the man’s promise. There was no way to know anything for sure, but he certainly hoped that Rhett was right. Before he could say anything in response, Rhett pushed a covered tray towards Link. He removed the lid and a large plate of… Link wasn’t actually sure what he was looking at. He stared at the food for a moment before looking up at Rhett with a quizzical expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Rhett asked. He’d clearly expected Link to be excited when he saw what had been served for the morning meal.

“What is that?” Link questioned softly. Trying new things had always made him nervous, and this was no exception.

“It’s a Deathclaw egg omelette!” Rhett explained eagerly. “This will give us all the energy we need for the start of our journey!” 

Link gulped. He didn’t think anything with the word “death” in the name sounded very appetizing. “I don’t know what that means, but I don’t know if I want it…” he mumbled, before quickly adding, “No offense.” He didn’t want to seem rude. 

“Oh, c’mon! Just try it. I promise, it’s tasty.” Rhett picked up a fork and stabbed some of the dish onto it. He held the forkful up to Link’s mouth like a father would to his child. 

Link stared at the food for a moment before glancing up to meet Rhett’s gaze. He seemed like he believed that it tasted good, so Link decided to trust him. That hadn’t gotten him into any trouble yet. He leaned forward to close the gap between his mouth and the fork and took the bite. Link’s eyes widened as soon as he began to chew. “Holy crap,” he gasped. 

“Good, huh?” 

Link ripped the fork from Rhett’s hand and began to dig in without the other man’s aid. He’d been starving, and this was just the thing he needed. A nice, warm,  _ delicious  _ dose of protein in the morning was something he never thought he’d experience again in his life, but here it was. The meal the night before was amazing, too, but he couldn’t enjoy that because he was too wrapped up in his own suspicion to really taste it. But this was on a level of its own. 

“Slow down there, bud,” Rhett chuckled. “You don’t want to choke.” 

Soon enough, Link’s plate was empty. It wasn’t until then that he even noticed the large cup of water sitting in front of him. He drank it down and then sat back in his seat, rubbing his abdomen with content. “Thank you so much, Rhett. I really needed that,” Link sighed, speaking earnestly for perhaps the first time since he’d met the man. 

Rhett was clearly taken aback by the sincerity expressed by the newcomer, but he smiled with appreciation. “I know you did. And you’re welcome.” The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Rhett asked, “I have a couple of bags packed for us with all the supplies we need waiting at the front of the building. If you want to head back to your room and get the bag you came in with, we can leave.”

Even though Link had been waiting for this moment since that first guard had taken him by the arm, the idea of stepping back out into the Wasteland was a daunting one. Link knew he was oblivious to the majority of the dangers that lurked out there, but the little that he had seen was frightening enough. Before he could voice any of his concerns, Rhett placed a hand over one of Link’s.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’ve got your back. We’ll be okay out there.”

Link took a deep breath and nodded. He pulled his hand out from under Rhett’s before standing and heading towards the door of the hall. “I’ll meet you at the front, then,” he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. 

One of the members of Rhett’s community entered the dining hall just as Link was about to leave. Rhett immediately slipped back into character, yelling, “AN EXCITING JOURNEY AWAITS, NEWCOMER!” 

Link gulped, pushing past the stranger and heading back to his room to collect his things. Rhett’s confidence was slightly reassuring, he had to admit. He just hoped it was justified. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thank you SO much for all the kind words so far! I'm so happy you're enjoying it!   
> I hate to say that I'm going to have to take a brief hiatus to focus on finals and work up a decently sized backlog of chapters so i can continue to update throughout next quarter! The story will be back! I promise ♥

Link had his pack draped on one shoulder as he headed towards the entrance of the compound. He was still dressed in the clothes they’d given him, as they were much more comfortable than the ones he’d arrived in. The closer he got to where Rhett was supposed to be waiting for him, the more anxious he became. Was he making the right decision in leaving again? These people had clearly made a relatively safe and stable life for themselves… No. Link had seen past the curtain that “Meatagain” had created and he didn’t think he’d be able to keep up appearances as well as Rhett had. He’d let the secret out and everything would crumble around him, just as it had in his hometown. Link shook his head as he caught himself blaming his own cowardice on the deaths back home  once again . It’d been a while since he’d last had a thought like that, but he supposed there would always be a next time. 

“Link! Our journey awaits!” Meatagain bellowed, gesturing wildly to the large double doors that the guards had dragged Link through only  a day prior. 

There were two large packs on the floor in front of the man, and Link wondered how he would carry both his original pack and the new one. Before Link could ask the question, one of the many people standing around waiting to see their leader off approached Link and took his pack from him. Link put up a brief struggle, not understanding what was going on, but when he looked up for reassurance from Rhett, he was met with a smile. The man carried Link’s pack over to the new, larger one and stuffed it inside. 

“I insisted they make sure there was enough room for your own belongings!” Meatagain explained. 

Link sighed in relief and nodded, stepping forward to take his new pack. It was much heavier than what he’d arrived with, but now that he was feeling better, he was able to handle the extra weight. He swung it over his shoulder and looked around at everyone staring at him before he finally turned to Rhett and mumbled, “Guess we should get this show on the road…” 

“Certainly!” the man called out in response. He held out his arms as he addressed his people. As he spoke, his booming voice echoed through the building. Everyone was silent, eagerly listening to what their departing leader had to say. “MY FRIENDS, WE HAVE CREATED A STRONG, INVINCIBLE COMMUNITY HERE THAT NO FOE HAS DARED TO TAKE ON. OUR REPUTATION HAS SPREAD ACROSS THE WASTELAND, AND THAT WILL NOT CHANGE. FAYE WILL TAKE MY PLACE IN THE THRONE UNTIL MY RETURN. MY FINAL ORDER IS THAT YOU HAVE A GLORIOUS FEAST TO CELEBRATE THIS JOURNEY.”

A chorus of voices responded, “YES, SIR.”

“AND WHAT WILL YOU FEAST UPON, FRIENDS?!”

“MEAT, AGAIN!” 

With this final response, Rhett thrust open the doors and in the same fluid motion, swung his own pack onto his back and headed out. Chaos erupted amongst the community, but Rhett didn’t even bother to glance back. Link, frightened by the commotion, scurried along behind Rhett in an attempt to catch up. Rhett headed up and over the same ridge Link had clumsily slid down the day  before , and once they were out of sight, he stopped.

“That whole Meatagain thing is really weird,” Link said in an attempt to make any sort of conversation.

Rhett began hastily removing the hair extensions, fake teeth, contacts, and any other pieces of his disguise that he could. “It really is. I said that one night and they all loved it,” he said with a chuckle. “I didn’t think it would stick…” As he spoke, he started to store the items he removed in his bag, but froze. After considering his options for a moment, he tossed them haphazardly over his shoulder. 

“What are you doing!?” Link questioned. “You need those!”

“What for?” 

“You told them you were coming back!”

Rhett simply smirked and then continued walking, leaving Link slightly dumbfounded. He looked back and forth between the disguise and the retreating figure. After a few moments, Rhett called, “Are you coming, or not?” With that, Link once again had to jog to catch up to his new companion. He hoped that wouldn’t be a common trend with the trip. 

The two walked side by side in silence for what Link guessed had been an hour or two. He couldn’t tell whether they were headed in the direction he’d come from or not, considering he had been in such a terrible state during his initial journey. Finally breaking the silence, he asked, “Do you know where we’re going?” 

Rhett nodded and smiled down at Link. “Of course! I wouldn’t have promised to get you your medicine if I didn’t,” he laughed. 

“Well, then where are we going?” the smaller man pressed. 

Pointing off into the distance, Rhett explained, “There’s an old, abandoned hospital a few towns over in that direction. It’ll take us a few days to get there, but we’ve never had trouble getting what we need.”

The promise of a hospital full of any medication he would ever need was like music to Link’s ears. Any reservation he had in regards to the journey immediately disappeared. This really was the right choice. After taking a moment to take in the almost too good to be true news, Link nodded and thanked the man. “I’d probably be dead in the dirt if it weren’t for you,” he said with a self-deprecating laugh. 

Rhett chuckled a hearty chuckle in response, nodding. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He nudged Link’s shoulder playfully. After a brief silence, he added, “Well, since we’re going to be spending so much time together, we should probably get to know each other.” 

Link’s smile instantly faded as worry crept in, replacing the relieved content. He was sure Rhett would ask him about where he came from and his past, and he wasn’t ready to discuss that. He wasn’t sure he would ever be. Hoping that Rhett wouldn’t notice the slight tremble in his voice, Link replied, “There’s no rush. It’s not like we’ll have any time apart…” 

Rhett squinted down at Link. He’d noticed how uncomfortable he’d suddenly grown, and he tried to fight off suspicion. He didn’t want to think Link was hiding some dark secret from him, but that was always a possibility… The warning of his people suddenly crossed his mind. Could Link really be somebody planning on taking him down? Was this some elaborate assassination attempt the raiders cooked up? No, it couldn’t be… Link was definitely sick… Rhett wondered silently if those two things were mutually exclusive. The only thing that he could do was be careful. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!! I've decided to post some of my backlog of chapters. I've felt bad for having left this for so long. Hopefully I'll have time to get back to it soon. Hope you all enjoy

The hot sun beat down on Rhett and Link’s skin as they walked, and they both wished they could rest until the weather calmed down. They passed burnt out shells of cars the likes of which Link had never seen, as well as cars that appeared to have been simply abandoned. As they passed, he tried to keep his gaze off of their interior for fear of what sort of remains he might see. Rhett, on the other hand, had no problems walking up and investigating, hoping to find anything of value. Up until that point, he’d come back empty. The longer they walked, the more roads became visible. Then, Link saw something that dumbfounded him. Crumbling remains of freeway overpasses rose up and stretched out as far as he could see. Rhett was surprised Link had never seen any before, as they were fairly common, as far as he knew. 

Despite all the new and astonishing things Link saw, the man didn’t say much, and neither did Rhett. They’d been quiet for much of their hours-long journey, neither wanting to be the one to break the silence between them. Link was the one who couldn’t let it go on for too long, however. Halfway up a rather steep hill, the man questioned, “How long are we planning on walking today?”

“Until sundown,” Rhett replied, trudging up the hill ahead of Link. “We’ve got another hour or so to go.” 

Link sighed and drank down more from their water supply. “I’m already running low on water, Rhett,” he frowned, a worried tone to his voice.

“We’ve got plenty. There’s  also  water purification tablets in my bag if we need them,” he explained.

Link didn’t have any idea what those were, but he nodded anyway. He didn’t want to seem more clueless than he knew he already did. Rhett waved his hand when he reached the top of the hill, motioning for Link to join him. When Link finally crested the hill himself, a valley stretched out before them. There was a distinct city near the southeastern edge, but not much else. The sun was beginning to head towards the mountain range bordering the valley across from where they stood, painting the sky in deep oranges.

“See that tower?” Rhett asked, pointing a finger towards the city. When Link nodded in confirmation, the man continued, “We’ve found medicine there in the past. We haven’t checked the buildings around it yet, so we should do that tomorrow. The hospital is on the other side of the mountain range. We’ll be able to see it from the top.”

Link stared out across the landscape, overwhelmed with emotion. He had no idea how he’d have it in him to keep up with Rhett for days  seeing as he was already struggling with it on day one. 

Sensing that Link was ready to stop, Rhett pointed to a flat area at the base of the hill. “We can set camp up there, if you want.”

Filled with relief at the promise of rest, Link nodded quickly and set forth, eager to get to the finish line for the day. 

Rhett, on the other hand, was still feeling apprehensive about spending the night next to the near stranger. Still unconvinced that he was right to trust Link, he was preparing for a night of nerves and sleeplessness. Knowing the best way to quell his anxieties was through working on a project of some sort, Rhett was eager to get to work setting up their temporary cam p.  He lost his footing in the loose gravel on the side of the hill, much like Link had done when he’d found the compound, but unlike Link, Rhett managed to stay upright and gracefully surf on his heels the rest of the way down to flat earth. 

Link marvelled at the sight, impressed by the taller man’s balance. He’d been left in his dust, quite literally, but made no move to attempt to catch up, knowing he’d only wind up on his ass. Instead, he carefully watched his feet with each step he took, taking care to only put his weight on rocks he knew wouldn’t give way. By the time he’d reached the bottom, Rhett was already kneeling on the ground, halfway finished setting up a tent.

“Need any help with that?” Link asked, although he knew he wouldn’t have half the skill that Rhett did.

“No, that’s alright. No need for a fire, either. We don’t want to call attention to ourselves. But there’s a hot plate and a box of Blamco in your bag. Why don’t you pull them out and start dinner?” Rhett replied, focused mainly on screwing two pieces of a tent pole together. 

Link furrowed his brows in confusion, but did as he was told. He sat on a large rock and let his pack fall to the ground before digging through it. 

“What’s with the face?” Rhett questioned with a half-hearted chuckle. Link looked deep in thought, like something was bothering him, and it wasn’t doing anything to help his anxiety over the situation.

Link jumped slightly, not realizing Rhett had been watching him. “Oh, I just don’t know what that is.”

Raising a brow, Rhett asked Link to elaborate.

“I don’t know what Blamco is,” he admitted shyly, face starting to turn red. Prior to meeting Rhett, he thought he’d lived a rather normal life in town, along with his neighbors, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“Blamco Brand Mac and Cheese?” Rhett pressed, thinking for sure that Link couldn’t be oblivious to the food.

Link shook his head again. “I’ve never heard of it. Sorry…” Just as he said that, he found the box Rhett was talking about. It was dented and beat up, clearly having been through a lot. On the front was a drawing of a bowl full of something orange along with a bomb. 

Rhett couldn’t believe what he was hearing, abandoning work on the tent to come over and explain the item to Link, but not before he got some gentle teasing in. “Where did you say you came from again?” he asked.

Link’s face turned an even deeper shade of red and he focused on the box in his hands. “Just from a town West from… Actually, I take that back. I definitely got lost. I have no idea what direction I came from. We called it ‘ Sanctuary Hills’  but I’m not sure—”

At the mention of a town he was somewhat familiar with, Rhett perked up, not expecting to hear a familiar name by any means. “Sanctuary Hills? You’re joking…” 

Link glanced up to make eye contact with the other man, shaking his head slightly. “No, why would I be joking?”

“Oh, no reason…” Rhett stammered, trying to play it cool.

“You’ve heard of my town?” Link pressed, his heart beginning to race. How had Rhett heard of it? It was tiny and had been deserted (save for himself) for long enough… 

Rhett looked away. He wasn’t sure he’d want to divulge the source of his familiarity with the name, as it would give the man some insight into his private life. He sighed deeply, deciding to go along with it. Link had given him a peek, so why shouldn’t he reciprocate? “My mother-in-law grew up there,” he said quietly, his voice more of a growl than intended.

Link couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Maybe the Wasteland wasn’t as big as he’d thought. He suddenly had a million questions for his companion. “You’re married? Do you not like your mother-in-law? What’s with the grumbling? Where are  _ you _ originally from?” He didn’t mean to throw it all to Rhett at once, but he was too excited; he couldn’t help it.

Rhett couldn’t help but laugh softly at the accusation that he disliked the woman. He shook his head and looked to the ground, a sad smile on his face. “No, I loved her like my own mother,” he replied. “And I’m originally from Goodsprings .” The remainder of the questions could wait. Link didn’t need to know any of that.

Link waited a moment to hear the answer to the rest of his questions, but as the silence extended, it became clear he wouldn’t get any more information. “I’ve never heard of Goodsprings , sorry…” 

Rhett smiled and shook his head. “That’s fine. You seem kind of clueless about anything outside of  Sanctuary Hills , if I’m being honest.”

Link couldn’t help but laugh at his assessment, as it was an accurate one. “I’m learning that.” 

“Well, back to the reason I came over here… Blamco’s Mac and Cheese is a pre-war snack. It’s super filling, but it’s not the healthiest. It’s—”

“It’s pre-war?” Link interrupted, shocked. “It must be ancient!” 

“Nearly 300 years,” he chuckled. “They’re still good, though.”

Link started to open the packaging when he froze. “Wait… If it’s pre-war…” 

When Link trailed off, Rhett raised a brow again. “What about it?” he pressed.

“Wouldn’t it be  _ full  _ of radiation?” Link’s stomach turned at the thought.

Rhett tugged on his beard for a moment, thinking it through. “Well, yeah… Now that you mention it, they must be…” He squinted his eyes at Link, then shook his head. “You’ll be fine. Nobody back at the compound had any problems with it, and you just took some Radaway.”

Link decided Rhett’s logic made sense and tore open the box. He started following the cooking instructions printed on the side, and although they were difficult to read, he thought he was doing a pretty good job at it. Rhett went back to finishing setting up the tent. 

Link was humming one of his favorite songs from the radio station he’d frequently listen to back home and stirring the mac and cheese when Rhett finished with the tent. The man got two bowls and two forks out from his bag before joining Link. “Smells great. Dish it up,” he said with a smile. 

Link happily did as he was told, making sure to give Rhett more than he gave himself. He wasn’t that hungry, and he didn’t need the extra radiation anyway. “Dig in,” he laughed.

Rhett didn’t need to be told twice. He shoveled the macaroni into his mouth as quickly as he could, starving after a long day of travel. Despite having nearly double the food that Link did, he finished before Link had made a dent in his bowl. He set it down next to him and laid back, watching the sky slowly turn from blue to black. The first few stars were already out, and he couldn’t wait to see more. 

Feeling content, Link began to hum to himself again as he ate, not paying attention to what Rhett was doing. Rhett hadn’t noticed the tune the first time around, but now that he recognized the song, his heart ached. “ _ Salut d’Amour _ , huh?”

Link, drawn out from his own mind, had to ask for Rhett to repeat himself. Upon hearing the question a second time, he shook his head. “I don’t know what that means,” he said with another blush.

“Well, neither do I, but that’s the name of the song,” Rhett said, trying and failing to keep memories of dancing under the stars from playing like a movie in his mind. “We get that station at the compound. You ever listen to Diamond City radio?” 

Link was utterly lost at the words coming from Rhett’s mouth. “How’d you know it’s called that? I didn’t know songs had names… But no… What’s Diamond City?” 

Rhett, despite feeling like he had an empty hole in his chest for the first time in a long while, managed to laugh at Link’s admittedly endearing ignorance. “It’s a city,” was all he felt up to saying. “Goodnight, Link,” he whispered. Feeling emotions beginning to rise and not wanting to let Link in on them, the man got his sleeping bag out of his pack and headed for the small tent they’d be sharing.

“Wait, what about the dishes?” Link asked, surprised by how early Rhett was turning in for the night.

“Just leave ‘em. Or not. You can use some of my water to wash them if you want. I don’t care,” he said, feeling his voice growing shakier with each word. 

Link frowned, sensing the sudden shift in mood. He hoped he hadn’t said anything wrong, but went about cleaning the dishes, not wanting to make things worse by questioning anything. 

“Goodnight, Rhett,” he mumbled.


	12. Chapter 12

When Link awoke the next morning in his own sleeping bag in the tent next to Rhett’s, he could see the other man was no longer next to him. With a yawn, he put his glasses back on his face and crawled out to see where he’d gone. Rhett was sitting on a large rock on the side of the hill looking out towards the city they were headed towards. They were still far enough away that they couldn’t make out any details, so Link wasn’t sure what he was watching for. From where they sat, all they could see was the long expanse of highway overpasses heading towards and over the city.

“Good morning,” Link said softly, still worried he’d done something wrong the night before.

Rhett looked over and nodded before turning his gaze back toward the horizon. “Morning.”

Link frowned at the man’s short response. He was quiet for a moment before deciding it’d be best to get his worries out in the open. “Did I do something to upset you last night?” he questioned. “You seem—”

Cutting him off, Rhett spoke honestly. “It’s not your fault, but I’d rather not get into it.”

“Fair enough,” Link muttered, sitting on the ground next to Rhett’s rock. He thought back to the point in the night’s conversation that the tone seemed to shift, and he realized it’d been at Link’s mention of a wife. He wondered whether or not their pasts shared a similar story, but he wanted to respect Rhett’s desire to stay quiet on the topic. Link preferred it that way, too. Or, that’s what he was still telling himself. “What are you looking at?” he asked instead.

Rhett pointed a finger toward the town. “See that smoke?”

Link followed his gaze and sure enough, there was a small amount of smoke rising up from what must’ve been a campfire. “What about it?” he asked.

“I think there’s some Raiders camping out. We’re going to have to enter town from the side instead of the head on route…” he explained.

There was no arguing that Link was oblivious to a lot of thing about the wasteland, but he was certainly familiar with the Raiders. Even if it meant adding miles to their journey, he’d be more than happy to adjust their route if it meant they could avoid contact with them. He didn’t want to have to shoot his gun, and contact with Raiders meant flying bullets every time. “How do you know the side approach will get us around them?” he questioned.

“I don’t,” Rhett answered bluntly. “But it’s worth a try. We should just keep staying off the main roads and stay as quiet as possible.”

Link nodded nervously. He knew there was a real chance of violence anywhere you went  in the Wasteland, but he didn’t think he’d have to face it so soon.  Sensing Link’s anxiety with the situation, he patted him on the back. He wanted to tell him not to worry about it, that they’d be able to get around the Raiders without any problems, but he didn’t want to make any empty promises. The truth was that he had no idea whether the fire was caused by Raiders or someone—or something—much more dangerous. On the other hand, there was always the possibility that it was just someone in a similar situation to themselves. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to make contact, regardless.

“Want some breakfast?” Rhett asked. “We’ve got some cans of beans we can heat up.”

“Sure,” he mumbled in reply. He didn’t have much of an appetite due to the nerves, but knew he needed some protein to fuel the next few hours of walking. 

Rhett dug through the bags until he found the cans and cooked them up on the hotplate. Just as he had the night before, the larger man finished his share of the food long before Link had. While he waited for him to finish, Rhett got to work packing their tent back up along with their sleeping bags.

“We can probably get to the office building in a couple of hours, if we keep a decent speed,” he thought aloud, looking out towards the city as he zipped up his pack. 

Link’s eyes widened when he looked over to the man, noticing for the first time a rifle that Rhett slug over his shoulder. He wanted to ask if that was really necessary, but he already knew the answer. 

“I’ve had my pistol out. I thought this would be more useful, since it has a scope,” Rhett explained when he noticed Link’s stare. 

“Should I get my pistol out?” Link asked nervously. “I’m not the best shot, but—”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Rhett agreed. “Whether we need to use it today or not, you should always have your weapon ready if you need it out here.” He didn’t want to scare the man more than he already had, but it was the truth, and Link needed to hear it.

Once everything was packed up tight and Link had retrieved his pistol from where it’d been packed away, the two men set off into the valley and towards the first stop on their journey. Just as Rhett had described, they altered their course slightly so they were approaching the city from the side instead of head on in an attempt to avoid whoever had set up camp on the outskirts.

Link focused on watching his feet instead of his surroundings, trusting that Rhett would spot anything important before he would anyway.

It took them longer than Rhett had anticipated due to their adjusted path, but in just under three hours, they stepped onto another paved yet crumbling street that lead into the city.

Despite the appearance that the overpasses could crumble and knock them out at any moment, the pair travelled in their shadow, past yet more burnt skeletons of cars that Link was scared to give more than a quick glance towards, certain he’d see remnants of the drivers.

“So far, so good,” Rhett said softly as he looked around, not wanting to speak too loudly and risk alerting anyone to their  presence.  Link wasn’t sure he’d use the word ‘good’ to describe their current predicament, but he also knew it had the potential to be a hell of a lot worse, so he’d take what he could get.

Gravel from the crumbling roadway crunched beneath their feet as they quietly turned a corner to head down an alleyway hidden by shadows. Link had many questions, mostly regarding whether or not Rhett knew where he was leading them. After turning down a  couple more dark corners, they were back out on a main street, and Rhett froze. Link felt his heart stop for a moment, certain they were in trouble, but when he looked up at Rhett’s face, the man had a small smile on his face. Link followed his gaze and was filled with hope. 

A pharmacy.

Certainly they would have what he needed!

Just as quickly as the hope came, however, Rhett spoke. “Don’t get your hopes up, man. I’m sure it’s been picked clean already, but maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Rhett’s words didn’t stop Link from assuming their journey was over early. Based on the old, charred newspapers scattered across the pavement along with other obviously pre-war trash, it looked like nobody had been down this road in ages. When Rhett opened the door to the shop, however, the optimism faltered.

A dim, orange glow radiated throughout the small pharmacy from a lantern sitting on the front counter. It gently illuminated racks that once held products, but were now torn to bits. It didn’t seem like there was anything left. Rhett stepped forward, carefully listening for a sign that they were not alone, sure that the lit lantern was a bad sign. But when all they heard was silence, Rhett nodded to Link before walking further inside. 

Link stuck close behind Rhett, too anxious to stray too far away from the man. Debris crunched under their weight as they carefully investigated old displays for any medication. When they rounded a corner, Link nearly screamed. He covered his mouth with his hand and gasped, holding onto Rhett so he didn’t stumble over in fright. In front of them were the skeletal remains of two individuals. One was laid out across a counter, and the other was curled up on the floor, clutching something. 

Rhett started to approach the one on the floor, but Link grabbed his arm to hold him back.  _ “Don’t,” _ he whispered frantically, clearly panicking, although he wasn’t sure why.

“Relax. They can’t hurt us. And they look like they’ve been here since before the war. There’s nothing to worry about,” Rhett tried to ressassure, but it didn’t do any good. Link was still terrified, but he decided to let Rhett investigate closer anyway.

Link watched as Rhett carefully crouched down and moved one of the skeleton’s hands aside. The bones fell apart, landing on the floor with a loud clatter that echoed throughout the silent store. Rhett caught the item it had been clutching before it hit the floor, then sighed. 

“What is it?” Link asked, eyes wide.

Rhett stood up and held it out to Link, who refused to take it. He didn’t want to touch anything that a skeleton had been holding just moments before. 

“Rad-X.”

“Rad? As in Radiation? Can I use that?” Link asked, growing hopeful yet again. Based on Rhett’s frown, however, he was sure the answer was no.

“It might help, but it won’t get rid of what’s already there. It’ll just make you less susceptible to any new radiation. It’s so old it might not be very potent, either,” Rhett explained. He opened the bottle and looked inside. “There are two left. Want to take one now?”

Link stared at the bottle and chewed on his lip. He was trying to think through the pros and cons of the situation, but the fact that there were two skeletons staring at him made critical thinking extremely difficult. “Maybe later,” he said softly.

Rhett nodded and pocketed the bottle before patting Link on the shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know you were hoping there’d be something more useful here.” His tone was soft, caring.

Link couldn’t look him in the eye, so opted to stare at the floor instead. “It’s fine. We’ll find it somewhere else,” he sighed.

Rhett stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate response, but couldn’t think of one. He simply said, “We will,” and headed for the door. “We should get out of here before whoever left that lantern here comes back.”

Link couldn’t agree more, so he quickly followed behind. Rhett swung the door open harder than he’d meant to, causing it to slam against the side of the building. Before he could even react to the loud noise, a voice from just around the corner called out, “What the fuck was that?!” 

Acting out of sheer instinct, Rhett grabbed Link by the wrist and took off running in the opposite direction, sprinting as fast as he could to get away from the clearly unwelcoming source. Link was struggling to move his legs fast enough to keep up, stumbling as Rhett practically dragged him along behind him. He ducked into a dark alleyway, hoping to hide. However, a gunshot was fired, hitting the brick just to the left of Rhett’s ear. They’d found the Raider camp.


End file.
